Many different industries have official certifications that are important for those in that industry to obtain. In the construction industry, it’s important to have a contractor’s license. In real estate it can be advantageous to be a licensed Realtor. In the AV programming industry, programmers who work with Crestron products are advised to become certified as Crestron Service Providers (CSP). According to the Crestron website, “Crestron-certified programmers are highly respected in the industry due to the rigorous training, extensive experience and stringent testing required.” CSPs have at least three years of professional programming experience. In the process of getting certified, they also had to provide Crestron with a business plan, reference letters, and programming samples.
There are Crestron programmers out there who will tell you that not all CSPs are good programmers and that there are also plenty of non-certified programmers who are amazing at what they do. While this is likely true, hiring a certified Crestron programmer definitely comes with some advantages that you can’t get with a programmer who isn’t certified.
For one, a CSP will have access to Crestron’s technical support team. Crestron programmer Matt Grisafe of AV Programming Associates had this to say: “[Having access to Crestron technical support] is especially important when your Crestron programmer is working on an existing system. If there is a problem with the older hardware they are working with, the programmer can get on the phone with a Crestron representative who can diagnose issues and make recommendations. Even with brand new systems, there can be hardware problems on rare occasions. A CSP can typically get the issue resolved quickly by calling Crestron.”
A Crestron programmer who does not have access to Crestron tech support will be on his or her own to figure out any issues they come across, and they will likely bill their client for any time they spend trouble shooting. If they are unable to solve the problem, they may even abandon the project altogether, forcing the client to find another Crestron programmer who is willing to take on a job they didn’t start. In the long run, it could be more costly to hire a non-certified Crestron programmer, rather than just hiring a CSP from the beginning.
Another advantage of working with a CSP is that CSPs have access to Crestron training courses and continuing education through their Crestron Masters events. A CSP is more likely to be up to date on the latest technology coming out of Crestron and how to work with it.
Finally, according to Grisafe, “Crestron will not back up any programming work that is done by an uncertified person or company. If you hire someone other than a CSP for Crestron programming, and later, your Crestron system fails, you are on your own to troubleshoot the issues.”
